Rat-guard.



,F. E. MAYNARD.

RAT GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.2'4. 1913.

1,160,634. Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

FREDERICK E. MAYNARD, 0F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

RAT-GUARD.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Application flied November 24, 1913. Serial No. 802.651.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. Mar- NARD, citizen of the United States, residing at Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rat-Guards, of which the followin is a specification.

This invention re ates to rat uards.

The present invention has or its object to provide a rat guard which is of few arts inexpensively made and readily assem led; to provide a guard designed to withstand the abuse encountered in use and storage, and which can be readily repaired when damaged.

A further object is to provide -a guard with practically one main sheet substantially encompassin a support to be guarded and having a 'smal shutter to complete the encompassment.

A further very important object of the invention is to provide a rat uard which will of its inherent structure e rat-proof when adjusted upon a support and to provide such a device as can be applied readily,

. quickly and effectively without depending I upon the particular attention of a careless,

Patent N 0. 1,060,993, granted unskilled or disinterested hand or seaman It is very important that a rat guard be adjustable to snugly fit any hawser or other support upon which it may be mounted so that rodents may not pass the barrier by finding small apertures at or. about the support through which they can pass without attempting to jump over the ard. In my ay 6th, 1913, I claimed and made provision for the'snug clamping of the support by means of flexible, split clamps which could be drawn.

down close together upon the rope and then fastened by suitable means. This very efiective and I have utilized this clamp means in my resent invention.

Another va uable feature of this invention is the provision of a guard of such structure that a number of them may be closely nested and stored for the conservation of space, particularly in ships where every cubic foot of space is valuable.

Primarily the object of this invention is to provide a rat guard of one piece as nearly as is practicable with means for making a snug fit upon supports of various diameters. The invention consists of a barrier member nearly encompassing a support with a complemental shutter completing the enelevation of the proved compassment and with clamps adapted to be snugly closed upon the support to prevent the passage of rats therealong.

Figure 1 is perspective view of the improvedguard as applied to a ships hawser. F 1g. 2 1s a front view of the guard open for application to the hawser. Fig. 3 is a side I guard. Fig. 4 shows a slight variant of the pivot location. Fig. 5 shows guards nested. Y

This invention pertains particularly to a device comprising a barrier structure adjustable upon ships hawsers and various other supports along which rats or other animals are likely to pass. The barrier must Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

be of sufiicient diameter to prevent the animal climbin or jumping over the same and the guards construct are 36" in diameter in compliance with Federal regulations. Not only must the be of sufiicient size but must also snugly t the support in whatsoever manner the may be mounted thereon. This important eature is provided for in guards involving clamps shown in my patent above mentioned and which are successfully in use and have passed Federal inspection and been approved.

- The present improvement relates to the barrier structure which consists of a sub-v stantially one-piece disk 2 entirely encompasslng the hawser 3, or other support, save for a radial slot 4-'which may be of a width to receive a given size line I-3 to which the disk stands perpendicu- Extending at right angles to the sideof width of slot 4 and is coincident with i the inner end of the same.

In order to close the slot -4-. after the guard is in place on the support there is provided a shutter plate 7 hooked over the edge of the disk at 8+ and pivoted in such manner that it may be swun open to clear the slot for the reception 0 the line 3-. The inner end of the shutter is designed to form, when closed, a hole through the guard disk 2 to receive the line. Thus the disk is secured perpendicularly to the carrier member 5 and when set upon the line and the shutter closed thereover the line is completely encompassed.

The shutter is shown as having extending the small shutter,

located at 10, Fig. 4.

To make a guard efiectively rat-proof upon lines less than given size for which the disk is slotted the ends of the sleeve members are slit at .12- to form prongs 13- which may be drawn to ether to snugly .clamp and encompass the fine or other support 3 by any suitable means, as a piece of light rope 14.. Oneend of the rope ma be fast in an eye 15 of a brace y so arranging braces 6 that their arms lie along the edges ofthe carrier 5- the latter will be greatly reinforced and if the shutter is hinged as at 10- the hinge is strengthened by the contiguous brace.

Only onebrace 6- is necessary to reinforce the shutter and its clamp piece 9 which may have a flange device riveted to 1 the inner end of the shutter.

The sleeve structure may be made tapering, if desired, so that the guards can be very closely nested for storage when removed from the su port as in Fig. 5.

When the guar is to be applied to a shlps line it is only necessary to open the shutter and drop the disk down so that the line enters the radial slot, after which the shutter is swung over the slot and the rope binder wrapped around the clamp. During this operation the guard is entirely supported by the line and herein lies a great advantage by the reduction of the liability to lose the ard overboard when the guard is made in arge, divided,- unwield sections which must be opened and close pivot to receive a There is no be pulled latera y from-the disk andthus bend the latter or strain the pivot because the shutter is hooked over the edge of the To form the 0t --4.- e sheet ma be slitted to the center on a radial line an the side edges folded back as at 16-'the ab out a disk and can onl move an 4 arly.

folded stock being utilized toreinforce the disk along the edges of the slot and at the same time'avoidin waste;

In lieu of the races -'6. the carrier though the pivot may be -5 may be secured te -the" disk in any suitable manner and the desired stiffness of r the disk obtained by radial embossing as at .-17, 4.

Havmg t us described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat- 7 ent, is I 1. A rat guard comprising a disk adapted to substantiall encompass a support and having a radial ot extending from its center to its circumference, a supplemental shutter slida'bly related to the disk to cover and uncover the slot, and complementary clam members on the'disk and shutter closa leabout the support.

2. A rat guard comprising a disk adapted to substantially encompass a support and havinga radial slot of width approximatmg a given size support and extending from the center of the diskto its circumference, a supplemental shutter adjustably' connected to said disk and movable over the slot, and

'complemental parts attached to saidmemher and the shutter and adapted to be snugly clamped about the support to prevent the passage of animals therealong.

3. rat guard comprising a disk with a radial slot toreceive a support, complementary means for securing the disk in a perpendicular position on and for inclosing the support, and a shutter for covering and uncovering the slot and having a close planary relation therewith, said means including sleeves (iii the disk and the shutter. 4. A rat guard comprising a disk with a radial slot to readily receive a support, and p a shutter pivotally-related to the disk and movableover the slot and having a part overlapping the edge of the disk to prevent any but a pivotal movement of the shutter.

5. A rat guard comprising a disk with a radial slot toreadily receive a support,'and

a shutter slida'bly" related to the disk and 'bility that shutter/can movable over the islot,'the shutter overlapping the edgeso'f the slot and being held against lateral movement from the plane of the disk, said members having clamp sleeves for embracing the support.

In testimony whereo I have hereunto .set my hand W1 I FREDERICK E. MAYNARD.

01m H. Hnmmo, WI. T.' Sum.

the presence of two subscribing 1 

